warped opals
by ivywolf
Summary: It was almost a normal day for Artemis; twins plotting, butler practicing. Then Holly delivers bad news: Opal Koboi was killed in her cell last night, and the killer will strike again. Can Holly and Artemis stop the killer, or will worse be to come?
1. twin terrors

Disclaimer:

I do not own Artemis Fowl, and he is lucky that I don't. He would never be able to go out in public again.

Artemis was truly annoyed. The twins had spent the past half hour trying to convince him to steal him something from the wine cellar. They were positive that they could break the teenage genius, and persuade him to give them just a "little taste" as Myles called it. They told him that they were nearly eight, and so they were old enough to make their own decisions. They accused Artemis of "restricting their free will, and denying their rights." This, however, was not the annoying part. They had moved into a corner to prevent their quarry's escape, and were now directing full-force, twin puppy-eyes at him like laser beams.

"Oh, COME ON, Artemis! We know you can!"

"Yeah, Artemis! Don't you love us?"

"PLEASE, Arty?"

'I will not give in' thought Artemis, 'to my adolescent siblings!'

"PLEASE? Please, please, pretty please, with a cherry on top?"

Artemis nearly beat his head against the wall.

"No" moaned Artemis feebly.

'They are draining all of my strength slowly away.'

"…"

Suddenly, a noise cut through the awkward silence. Artemis's stolen L.E.P. walkie-talkie crackled with static. The trio glanced at it, lying inconspicuously on Artemis's desk.

"Artemis?" a feminine voice filled the room, "Its Holly. We need you outside in twenty."

Myles reached over and plucked it off of the aged wood. He stared at it for a moment, then at Artemis.

"Tell her you're not gonna make the appointment."

Artemis plucked the mobile device out of his brother's hand, and replied to Holly, "I will be there, but at current I am in a rather difficult situation. However, no assistance is required."

Holly laughed. "What is it this time; Russian mafia, or goblin gangs?"

Artemis smiled. "Neither. I am being held captive, but by my juvenile brothers."

On the other end, Holly smirked. "Yeah, ok. Just get out here in fifteen."

Artemis recoiled. "You previously stated twenty. Has something changed?"

Holly snickered. "No, no. just be here in ten, or your reputation burns."

She paused, and then continued. "Won't this sound honorable: 'Commander, I am sorry for my belatedness, but I can explain; I was held captive by my younger brothers. Of course, you can surely understand that such a situation could make anyone late.' I pity you, Artemis Fowl, if you cannot be down here by the five-minute deadline."

"Holly…"

The female member of LEPrecon laughed mirthlessly. "Okie-dokie! Be down in two!" with this last installment, she hung up.

"…"

"Artemis" said Beckett tauntingly. "We can finish this later. If you need to be on your date…"

But Artemis was gone.

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Thanks for reading! Please, please, PLEASE review! And see what horrors await Artemis in the next chapter!

Thanks,

Ivywolf


	2. the riddle

Disclaimer:

It's Thanksgiving and everyone is happy! Why? Because I don't own Artemis Fowl!

Oh, wait. I am not happy. But Artemis is!

"It's about time you got here, Fowl." Declared Holly Short to an out of breath Artemis Fowl. "I gave you a full minute and a half!"

A panting Artemis raised his index finger in a silent message, 'give me a second.' After several minutes, he inquired, "What was I here for, again?"

Foaly smirked. "Regretfully, it's bigger than Myles and Beckett holding a teenager captive. Oh, wait. That IS pretty big for you, eh Fowl?"

Artemis scowled. "They seem cute and sweet, and they commonly are, but they can be demons!"

An offended looking No1 punched Artemis lightly on the shoulder. That light punch, however, was hard enough to crack ribs. On Artemis, it merely sent him rolling on the ground.

"Sorry," he stuttered, "No1"

The demon helped him to his feet, rapidly apologizing.

"It is fine." said Fowl. "I should have selected my words more carefully. You were correct to be offended."

"Okay, now we're all better, right?"Snapped an impatient Holly Short, "We can get on with the matter at hand."

"Which is?"

"Opal Koboi was killed in her cell last night."

"…"

Artemis tilted his head to one side. "Does this have a positive or negative effect on us? Because currently, I feel rather positive"

"Pah! Listen to me!" yelled Holly, distraught. "We're not upset that Opal is dead-"

"Looks that way to us" interrupted Foaly.

"Shut up and listen! We are upset by the fact that she was murdered. That means someone snuck in to Atlantis's prison, managed to kill Opal, and snuck back out, all while evading security cameras and guards. THAT means there is a murderer, along with a HUGE threat to security, loose in the world."

"…"

"Oh, AND," she added, "the killer said that they would strike again. They left a neat little note on Opal's forehead that said, and I quote, 'Thy will not be the last. Creepy, no?"

"…"

Foaly shuddered. "Holly, that is really creepy."

"Thy will not be the last." Artemis repeated. "thy".

"There was more" continued Holly.

"Crap." snorted Foaly.

Holly crossed her arms. "It came with a riddle."

"Double crap." moaned Artemis.

Holly scowled. "It gives hints about the next three victims, and the location."

"…"

"Three?"

Foaly stamped his rear hoof on the grass. "Do share, Holly. We are oh, so curious."

Holly glared at him indignantly, and recited:

"The first shall pay far from desires, by jaw defied the ancient oath, higher than the castle's spires, unfeathered bird that his kind loath;

The next shall pay where elements meet, one of which forever banned, prized possessions obsolete, taken from the sky's blue span;

The last shall pay by namesakes foe, beneath thou belt of stars, crimson flowers in a row, lured away from protection of Lars."

"…"

"Holly," asked Foaly tentatively,"how did you remember that?"

Artemis grinned. "I think she has practiced that one many a time in the mirror."

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…

Thanks for reading? Also, I made up the riddle, (I love them) so sorry if it sounds like something you have heard before, it would be a coincidence.

If anyone wants to guess the meaning of the riddle, PM me! Reviews of all kinds are also appreciated!

If you were wondering, Lars was the protective household god of ancient Rome. And sorry if the vocab was iffy; rhyming is tough if you don't want it to sound like crud.

Thanks,

Ivywolf


	3. insomnia

Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis fowl, and he would have a hard time explaining to his mother if I suddenly did. "Hey mum, guess what happened today? I got re-possessed!" No.

Artemis turned in his bed. Even at rest, his mind was at work, questioning, doubting, reworking, scheming, and worse. At current, however, it was satisfied to study the riddle.

He was positive the first verse was referring to a dwarf, but as for an "unfeathered bird that his kind loath", there were many possibilities: any species of bat or gliding lizards included. Also, there were the inanimate objects, such as falling rocks, throwing knives, etc. he simply could not decide.

Another thing; 'pay' did not necessarily mean die, though it evidently meant so for Opal. Did that mean there may be less than three deaths to come?

Artemis groaned, covering his face with his hands. 'I am not going to get any sleep in this way.' He thought. He slid out from under his calculus- design bed sheets and trudged toward the kitchen, where he pulled a crystal glass from the cupboard and filled it to the brim with milk.

Artemis gazed distastefully at the thick white liquid, but swallowed half of it in one gulp. He grimaced; he had hated milk since he was eight. However, it did calm the nerves.

'I shouldn't be here' he thought to himself. 'I should be in the lab'. Artemis was always calmer within the titanium steel walls of the lab. It was a place for quiet thought, and Artemis found that most of his great ideas came to him in the lab.

As Artemis shuffled into the small room, he glanced down at the walkie-talkie lying on the desk, and wondered if there was any news that he had missed.

"Holly?" he asked into the speaker. There was the sound of shuffling on the other end of the line, and an irritated Holly Short spoke:

"Whaddiawant, Fowl? It's two in the morning here. If there was any news, I'd have called. Go to bed."

Holly dropped the walkie-talkie onto a wooden nightstand next to her bed and propped herself up on her elbow. She knew how Artemis felt; she was feeling the same way. Restless, compulsive, depressed. She couldn't take it. Holly was suffering from withdrawal from a case.

Artemis had reached a dead end. All that he knew was that a dwarf would be killed by an 'unfeathered bird'. Or would they be killed? Maybe just wounded. Or taken. So many possibilities. He decided to sit back and see how things played out.

"…"

"Ach! I can't take it anymore" cried the child prodigy, covering his face with his hands. He raced back to the kitchen and grabbed the half- full glass of milk. That glass was soon refilled, and re-emptied. Artemis stalked back to the lab, where he sat in a chair and thought. . . .

"Artemis? ARTEMIS?" the teen awoke to Holly's urgent yelling of his name. Holly continued. "Get your sorry a-"

"Holly! I'm awake!" groaned Artemis, blinking. "What happened?"

"…"

"Remember our dwarf friend, Bobb Ragby? His jet stopped working. Twenty-eight thousand feet above ground."

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! Please review. Please.

Thanks,

Ivywolf


	4. Tea party

Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl, and that's his Christmas wish come true. Ho Ho Ho.

Police fairies swarmed back and forth; an interviewing, scanning, scowling throng that was so tightly packed that Holly had to elbow her way through. Artemis was also thoroughly jostled, and moaning, once the mob began to thin out.

"Wimp" smirked Holly, but even she could not hide her awe.

The plane had completely shattered, with the metal frame bent and charred, and aluminum shards impaled in the ground like misshapen statues. A leather chair, smoking slightly, had taken minor damage in the wreck and was leaning against a large boulder. Even the boulder itself had not escaped unscathed; a large chunk was missing from the side and a metal slab formed a lopsided crown atop it.

Artemis reached down and cautiously picked a metal shard of the ground, and examined it closely.

"Judging from the condition of this metal," he said, lost in thought, "it was not a crash brought about by natural causes. The metal is severely warped; so much so that even the speed of the plane's rapid decent could not have caused the required heat. There was, yes, there certainly was a small explosion on board."

Once he completed his thought, Artemis leaned back against the boulder and looked immensely proud of himself, but also slightly bored.

"…"

"Geek"

"What?" the boy genius asked, incredulous. "It is rather obvious. And, well, dwarves hate heights, planes have no feathers, and twenty- eight thousand feet is certainly higher than the 'castles spires'. So whoever this murderer is, they mean, what is the phrase? They mean business."

"…"

"You have got to get out of the house more, Arty"

The boy banged his head against the slab of granite. "give me some credit, okay?" he groaned, "I was awake all of last night, attempting to solve this riddle, D'arvit!"

Holly placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and said the kindest thing that came to her mind:

"Quit your moaning, mud boy. There are still two more riddles, so suck it up."

Artemis stared at her blankly. "Thanks, Holly."

In the middle of this, oh so touching moment, Foaly galloped over.

"There was a small explosion on board" he said, "but that tells us nothing about the killer."

Holly glanced at him. "are we even sure that Ragby was on board?" she asked the centaur, "did we even find a his body?"

Foaly whinnied nervously. "Bits and pieces, and before you ask, they were crucial to his life. Ragby is dead."

"Great," exclaimed Artemis. "Now we have a plane wreck, parts of a dwarf, a dead Opal, and an ingenious killer loose in the world. We're a few muffins short of a tea party."

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….

Thanks for reading! Sorry for not uploading but I have been SUPER BUSY!

*Superman theme song in the background* Ooo-kay, that was odd. And sorry if this chapter is no good; I had numerous delays in typing such as:

Nosebleed

Bird's veterinary appointment

Dishwashing

Etc.

So, anyway, thanks for reading! I will upload soon!


	5. Caroling

Disclaimer: Ho Ho Ho. (translation: I don't own Artemis Fowl)

Also, this chapter is dedicated to Artemis Fowl Lover!

Who reviewed!

Which is why I uploaded!

(Are you taking the hint, people?)

After their 'eventful' trip, Artemis, Foaly, and Holly regrouped in Artemis's lab, where they shared a cup of hot chocolate and sung carols. However, the carols were sounding a little less like "Jingle Bells" and a little more like:

"Well, maybe the murderer is helping us! Getting rid of all the criminals out on the street! Did ya think of that, mud boy?"

"Well, we still can't let them kill! These fairies that are being killed deserve to be locked up, not slaughtered! And Artemis deserves some credit! Give him a break, ya jealous pony!"

"refill?"

Though they had made almost no progress through this discussion, they still found it better to have their thoughts out in the open, and discuss a plan of action.

"Oh!"Exclaimed Foaly with a start, "I need to get back home for dinner. Cabilline and the foals are expecting me." With that, he sprung up and cantered out the door, which slammed shut behind him.

"Stupid horse" grumbled Holly Short, but her eyes shined with laughter and a smile played around the corners of her mouth. "But I need to get back too." She stared at Artemis, who stared back.

"You can crack it, mud boy. If anyone can solve that riddle, it's you."

Artemis stared blankly at the door that Holly had just left through. Had she just…? The boy genius cradled his head in his hands and groaned. Life was so complicated!

He shook his head. 'Holly believes that I can solve the riddle, then I need to solve the riddle' he thought, 'simple as that'

He sat down upon the leather chair by his computer, and thought of the riddle.

'Where elements meet' could refer to any number of elements; fire, water, heart, soul, etc.

But where they meet? That brought it down to the physical elements, and many of those couldn't coexist peacefully.

One had to be banned; and very few couldn't move along the earth, and anyone could touch water, while everyone had probably been burned before.

The last two victims were fairies; would this one be too?

What was a fairy's prized possession? Gold, like in myths? Magic?

Artemis recoiled as he remembered Holly talking to him about a sprite's wings; she had referred to them as a sprite's "pride and joy"

Obsolete? There was only one sprite without wings, and that was Unix. He was "taken from the sky's blue span" as the riddle was phrased. But the LEP had been searching for him and Ragby for years, so his location was unknown. And there had been tips about a beach house.

A beach had earth, air, and sea, which would certainly count for the three elements.

Odd, though, that someone would target Turnball Root's team along with Opal…

Artemis woke with a start, and glanced around him at the lab now flooded with light, all pouring in through the windows. He had been asleep?

Artemis was growingly aware of a persistent humming to his left, and turned to see his cell phone vibrating upon the table. He flipped it open, and read the contained text message.

UNIX DEAD. BDY WASHED UP ON BEACH. BE OUT BY 10:00

He glanced at his watch. 9:54. He had to run!

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…

Thanks for reading! If you are! Yay! Exclamation points are fun!

Well, if anyone DID read, then please review. I made an amazing scientific discovery: reviews = uploads!

Oh, and… thanks to Artemis Fowl Lover! They have reviewed on two of my chapters, and is the main reason I am typing this right now.

Thanks,

Ivywolf


	6. native blue bunnies

Disclaimer: I own an Ancient Rome project. Artemis was not in my project description. *CRY*

Artemis arrived outside of the manor approximately six minutes later, out of breath and with a severe case of bed- head. His hairs stuck out at every imaginable angle, not slicked down with jell as was usual for him.

He also, to the delight of Holly Short, was found to be wearing an adorable pair of blue bunny slippers. This was to become a colossal source of later ridicule.

"Fowl!" exclaimed a chuckling Foaly, "you three are an absolute mess!"

"Three?" asked a bewildered Fowl, glancing around.

"Indeed, Foaly" smirked Holly, "I didn't know that blue bunnies were native to Ireland."

Artemis, realizing his mistake, rapidly pulled the slippers off by the ears, and threw them through the manor's open windows. However, he was then barefoot in Ireland's winter snow. Luckily, Artemis has never been known for his strength or sportsmanship, and the slippers flew about 5 feet before giving up and plopping down in the snow.

Foaly plucked them from their landing place, held them as someone would hold a repulsive lab experiment, and quickly handed them off to Artemis.

"We have more, um, important things at hand than Artemis's obvious obsession," stuttered Holly, clearly trying not to fall into a fit of laughter, "as I had said, Unix was found dead on the beach. "

Artemis stared blankly at Holly. "Again" he asked, "good or bad? I understand that they shouldn't be killed, but the killer seems to be helping us'; doing what the LEP would have done eventually."

"Maybe" said Foaly, "the killer is taking out the competition."

"Could we see the body?" interrupted Artemis, full of impatience.

"No"

"…"

"Why?"

"'Cause you didn't say the magic word."

"…"

"?" Artemis said, in one breath.

"…"

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?"

"A disease caused by inhaling volcanic ash."

"You make me sick!" Holly spat.

"With ?"

Holly shook her head and sighed. "It's been confiscated by the morgue. They're still determining the cause of Unix's death."

Artemis clicked his tongue impatiently. "So, there is absolutely nothing we can do?"

"We're not allowed anywhere near that place, "Holly mumbled

Foaly smirked. He had a feeling that Holly was told far less than she would have preferred.

Artemis sunk his head in his hands. "I knew that Unix would be the next victim" he said, face hidden from view. "It was obvious. But yet, I couldn't save him."

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… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …. …. … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … Thanks for reading! Sorry if this chapter is not very good, but I was kind of rushed. Also, I have been hearing a few complaints about my chapter size, (tiny! Help!) so, I will now make a bigger effort to make them larger. And thanks to:

Readergirl199

ElfinEragon

Artemis Fowl Lover

Imp90

DaniDBR

AnimeLoverno.1

Darkrusnik05

Thanks again!

Ivywolf


	7. Arachnophobia

**Disclaimer: I eagerly await Christmas day, as there is my hope of finding the rights to Artemis Fowl stuffed in my stocking. But not yet. *sob***

Holly tried to comfort the teenage genius, and eventually even managed to get him to his feet by administering a sharp kick to the shin.

"What the heck was that, Holly?" asked Foaly, utterly miffed.

"Motivation"

"…"

"That's low"

"What? I can't just let him mope around all day while there's a killer loose!" Holly hissed.

"Please," pleaded Artemis in a hollow voice, "I need some time to think. Can I have some time to myself?" the teenage genius's eyes were downcast.

With a start, Holly realized that someone had outsmarted Artemis, and he was not taking the transition well. The only one who had ever had this effect on Artemis was Opal, and she was a paranoid, psychotic serial killer with a fondness for truffles.

'How would it feel to be compared to _that_?' she wondered.

"Holly?" Foaly's voice startled the female LEPrecon officer out of her thoughts. "We should, um, get back. To Haven" the centaur's voice was layered with an underlying meaning.

'We need to talk'

Holly nodded, and pulled the rip cord on her hummingbird wings. She hovered about an inch off of the ground before taking off and fluttering off in the direction of haven. Foaly quickly followed.

Artemis trudged warily through the snow, back towards Fowl manor. In truth, he was not as depressed as he had led Holly and Foaly to believe. No, the real cause for his plea for solitude was the distinct feeling that he was being followed. All too frequently, he would hear a crunch of leaves behind him, and whirl around to see nothing.

'Am I losing my mind?' he wondered, but shook his head

Artemis set his face in the determined, straight face that he was famous for.

'If I don't think straight, more people will die.'

The polished oaken wood door swung open at his approach, and Artemis carefully placed the undersized remote back into his pocket. It was an interesting device; controlling all of the doors and windows in the Fowl manor. But Artemis gave it little thought as he stepped through the door.

He walked through three more sets of doors, all opening at his command. As he entered his lab, he noticed a difference.

All of the papers, vials and equipment were stacked and sorted just as he had left them, but there was something amiss. Or, rather, there was something added.

The faint scent of chocolate lingered in the air, barely noticeable to someone who hadn't been trained to recognize differences in the environment. Luckily for Artemis, Butler had trained him well in this aspect.

'Chocolate?' wondered Artemis, confused. 'Why does that scent bring me such a feeling of guilt?'

Again, he pushed the thought out of his head. This was no time to cloud his mind with wary puzzles. This was a time to think; and to do so in a way that Artemis did exceptionally well. Artemis sat down upon his char, and began meditating.

"Artemis?" called a singsong voice from the stairs.

"Yes mother?" said Artemis, irritated.

A moment later, his mother rapped her knuckles against the cast- iron doors of the lab.

"There is no 'mother' in this house, Arty. Don't act so grown up, heaven's sake."

With a sigh, Artemis removed himself from the chair and opened the door.

"What did you call me for, mo-"Artemis stopped himself, "mum?"

"Much better" laughed Angeline Fowl. "I just wanted to tell you that a package arrived for you. It's at the door."

Artemis nodded. "Thanks, Mum."

The door slid closed with not as much as a creek, and Artemis strolled off to the main entrance. The box was waiting, wrapped in a small, shiny green bow and shimmering silver paper. The paper looked as if it had been stripped off of a great, silver snake.

Artemis carefully picked up the package, and carried it back to the lab. He placed it upon his desk, and began tenderly stripping the paper off like it would disintegrate at his touch. In truth, he was more interested in the paper than the parcel itself.

Artemis couldn't tell why, but the contents of the box seemed unimportant; nothing compared to this shimmering cloth. He did not want to open the box, not in the least. He threw the textile into the air, fascinated by the ripples it created. It slowly sunk to the floor, where it spread out into a pool of liquid silver. Artemis giggles like a young school girl. The box lay forgotten on the white tiles.

Artemis was obsessed. He spent hours tossing the textile into the air and catching it, or just letting it fall.

"Huh?"

Artemis stopped in mid toss. "What am I doing?"

'How childish of me' he thought, 'to become obsessed with this small, shimmering wrap. Am I sick?'

In truth, Artemis's head was throbbing, and his throat was stinging violently. This was odd, because only a moment ago he was completely fine.

'I should rest.' He thought. His heart was pounding in his ears, and the world around him was starting to blur.

Artemis strode into his room, doing his best to hide his pain. Never had the staircase seemed so steep, or the number of steps so great. But he finally made it into his room, and collapsed upon the bed.

The package was the farthest thing from Artemis's mind when he passed out, but it was really quite important. It was rumbling and vibrating on the spot of floor it was left on, humming like a piece of mud- man machinery. As the sun sunk down past the horizon, something thin and sharp pierced through the cardboard. Something that looked far too much like a long, pointed leg.

The clock read 11:24 when Artemis awoke. But he didn't wake naturally, that much was obvious. First, Artemis was a sound sleeper; he averaged about ten hours a night. Also, he hadn't been having a nightmare which would wake him. No, the cause of his awakening would have to be the large, spider- like droid perched innocently upon his chest. With a start, he jumped out of the bed and dumped the spider on the cushion. The bot clicked its jaws, clearly offended, and sprung onto the floor. Before Artemis had a chance to object, the droid raced through the door and down the stairs.

'It seems that the best way for me to find who sent this artificially intelligent being would be to capture it' thought the boy genius. He was barely awake, so this was as close to a fully- formed plan as he could come up with.

Artemis used all of his stealth skills to sneak down the stairs, an event which ended with him face-down on the bottom step. After a few moments, he righted himself and continued the chase.

Artemis heard the scrabble of metal claws losing their grip on the wooden floor, and caught a glimpse of a mechanical spider sliding out through the door and clattering into his mother's garden. He followed without question.

As he raced into the garden, he lost sight of the arachnid.

He stood there, in the middle of his mother's garden, with absolutely no purpose. He had lost sight of the spider in the thick rose bushes.

'Wait' he thought, 'Roses'

Crimson flowers.

No…

Then he heard a rustle in the underbrush, and an all too familiar figure stepped out.

"Hello, Fowl." She said, but not cheerfully. She said it while pointing a hand gun at his chest.

And Artemis responded. "Hello, Opal."

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… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ... … … … …

Thanks for reading! And sorry for the cliff hanger, I just had to do it. And I know you are probably pretty confused, but all will be revealed next chapter. Please review!


	8. A light in the window

**Ivy: Okay, okay! I'll just say it; I do not own Artemis Fowl! Random person: Was that so hard? Ivy: Yes. Now can I go and cry in a corner? Random Person: knock yourself out.**

The roses were red; a sharp, stinging shade that would be nearly impossible to keep from looking at. But the face of Opal Koboi was a bit of a distraction.

"You…" Artemis muttered, dumbstruck. "You were dead. There were pictures!"

"Alas, mud boy, you can't be rid of me that easily" giggled Opal, carelessly twirling her weapon around her fingers. "I wasn't dead. Only something that looked immensely similar to me was."

Artemis cocked his head to the side, a puzzled expression clouding his features. Then suddenly, realization dawned on him.

"A clone… oh no" he buried his face in his hands. "How could I not have seen it sooner?"

Opal poked her tongue out at him, an impish grin on the pixie's face. "I have used them before, no?"

Artemis fought to maintain his composure. He had been defeated, humiliated. For the second time. By the same trick.

Opal's grin widened at her quarry's discomfort.

"Also, Fowl," she sneered, "you were wondering about the paper. It is a new invention of mine called _fixation paper. _It is enchanted with a small amount of magic, similar to that of the Mesmer. Something that your fool of a centaur could never have come up with." Again she giggled at Artemis's reaction, as the truth set in to his young mind.

"My only regret, Fowl," she went on, "is that you won't live long enough to rub it in his face!"

The gun went off. A lone, clear shot rang through the night, too far away for anyone to hear it or help. It startled a flock of nesting birds off their tree, and spooked a single dog into barking, but they could do nothing. No one could. Opal stalked off into the night.

xXxXx

Artemis had been shot in the lower torso, away from most vital organs. It hardly mattered, though, because he could still easily bleed to death.

It hurt more than anything he had ever felt. It wasn't hot, like he would have imagined, but cold. A tight, searing cold that stung his entire body. Perhaps if Artemis had undergone extensive military training, he would have been able to walk. But Artemis was young, and had not been trained for this situation. He cried out for Butler, for his father and mother, for Holly, for everyone and anyone. But no one answered.

Artemis rolled onto his side and curled into a ball, but felt a sharp pain on his side. Something in his pocket?

He reached down and pulled out the door remote, and inspiration struck. He searched the handheld device for the door for Butler's room. Finding it, he tapped the miniature button and smiled. Artemis was doing what he did best: Forming a plan against all odds.

xXxXx

Butler awoke with a start. His door was sliding open, then closing again. A malfunction? Possibly. But these doors were programmed by Artemis personally, so it was highly unlikely. And in Butler's line of work, there was no such thing as a coincidence.  
He sprung out of his bed and stalked through the door, but then returned. On an afterthought, he flipped on the light. No harm in that.

xXxXx

Artemis watched the lights flip on in butler's room with a grin. He had tied a strip of his pants around his waist to stem the bleeding. Now it was a game of leading Butler into the garden. He opened the door to the observatory, and its light was visible through the window. Artemis flipped the window switch, watching the light increase. That window had a clear view of the garden. He saw Butler's silhouette against the light. Butler knew where he was. He was safe.

On a thought, he glanced up at the night sky. There were no clouds, so the stars glowed brightly. There was one he easily recognized: Orion's Belt. Orion, the hunter, who was killed by the goddess Artemis. _Namesake's foe_; _belt_ of _stars_.

xXxXx

Butler stared out the recently opened window. It lead directly to Angeline's rose garden. If that was where Artemis was, that was where he needed to go. His hand strayed to his Sig Sawyer in his waistband. It was fully loaded, as always. He flipped off the safety as a precaution.

Just a precaution.

Butler raced down the stairs, snatched a flashlight off of the counter, and sprinted through the door leading to the garden.

The thick underbrush in the garden slowed Butler's progress considerably, but the colossal manservant still moved at a speed that would make a cheetah blush.

"Artemis?" he bellowed. "Artemis!"

"Here, Butler," came the reply. Butler's initial relief was banished by the sight of his young charge.

He was paler than ice, and looked about as cold. He was bleeding from a large gunshot wound in his lower torso. There was too much blood. Then he noticed the sash tied tightly around his waist, stemming the bleeding. Good. If this hadn't been, Artemis would surely have died by now.

Butler scooped Artemis into his arms and took off towards the house.

"Who was it, Artemis?" asked the manservant, "Who was the killer?"

But Artemis had passed out in those giant arms.


	9. Some hope comes with wings

**Birds fly, fish swim, and Ivy doesn't own Artemis Fowl. Nothing has changed… Wait! I.. I.. nope. Nothing has changed. Why? WHY!**

Butler raced towards the house, his unconscious charge dangling from his arms.

"Artemis? Artemis!" he yelled, and even a bit of fear had found its way into the manservant's voice and lodged itself there, refusing to leave. This couldn't have happened. Shouldn't have. But yet, the thorns of the carefully tended roses scratched against his legs, reminding him that the experience was very much real, not some terrible hallucination. But Butler still longed for the sense of falling acquired from waking from a nightmare.

As he came closer to the door, Butler saw the shocked expression on Angelline Fowl's face as she saw the unconscious form of her eldest son. He brushed past her with his only words being "Not gone yet" and carefully placed Artemis's still body on the table.

On closer examination, the wounds were not quite as bad as they had seemed at first glance. Both were clean shots, with the bullets still entirely in one piece. They were also largely away from any vital organs, so the only risk was from loss of blood.

Butler was a Butler, one of the most highly esteemed families of bodyguards anywhere in the world. He was trained in hand- to- hand combat, assorted weaponry, and cooking, but his knowledge of medicine extended only to battlefield treatment. He needed to get Artemis to a hospital, and quickly. But this was two o-clock on the morning, and it was rush hour. And anyway, human technology was incompetent and sloppy, and could cost his young charge his life. Butler knew he needed to inform Holly

The walkie- talkie lay so inconspicuously on the lab table, but only for approximately 7.5 seconds before it was dwarfed in Butler's giant palms. "Holly?" he asked. He was greeted with static.

Then…

"What. The. Heck. Butler. Have you looked at a clock lately? I just got off of working overtime on this new case, and still have no idea who the next victim will be! The commander let me go home out of pity! PITY! And when I finally manage to fall asleep,-"

"Artemis was shot."

"yes" the female LEPrecon officer yawned. "Artemis was sho- wait, WHAT?"

"Shot. Can you get him healing?"

There was a pause, then-

"I'm on my way."

And she was. Holly had finally gotten a new set of wings, and they were MUCH faster even than the hummingbirds. They were Foaly's newest prototype, and had been given to her for testing.

'Well' he thought, giving the drawstring a yank, 'This is one test I can't afford to fail'

Holly jumped through the window and took to the air. Flashing her badge at an impudent traffic sprite, she soared-

-right into commander Trouble Kelp.

"Short!" he inquired, face blank. "What is the meaning of this? You are supposed to be asleep by now! I dismissed you hours ago!"

"With all due respect, Sir," stammered Holly, folding her wings, "I have a new lead, and have personally been requested to investigate."

"Well," stated Kelp, "I guess you can go. But don't you DARE try to count this as overtime!"

Holly grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it, Sir"

xXxXx

Artemis was doing well, or rather as well as could be expected from someone with two bullets embedded in their flesh. Butler was sitting next to him, like a protective hound.

Angelline was up in the twin's bedroom, informing them of their brother's condition. Butler heard a few sobs through the walls, and though it is a known fact that Butlers never cry, there was a small part of him that wanted to lay his face down in his palms and weep. He had failed. And now Artemis might die because of it. In a panic, Butler checked his young charge's heartbeat, and only relaxed once he had felt it beat several times. It was weak, but it was there. Still going, one two, one two. Butler took some small comfort from that small beat. One two. One two.

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**The story has taken a dark turn, so sorry for any 'gothyness'. And I dedicate this chapter to my most common reviewers, RAHbooks and Artemis Fowl Lover! Thanks guys! Your support is what keeps me going! Cookies for all, but especially to you two. Yay! **

**Also, my upload speed has decreased. Speed it up with ****reviews****!**

**By the way, there is a poll on my profile page. Thanks to those who have submitted their thoughts!  
**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Ivywolf**


	10. Chess

**Disclaimer: If I owned Artemis Fowl, would this be a disclaimer? Think about that. Contemplate your answer.**

"Butler?"

The manservant rose to his young charge's voice. Artemis sat on the table, feet hanging over the side and head propped up on his hands. Behind him sat Holly, leaning on a wooden chair. Artemis was quite pale, but there were no visible wounds. Holly also looked rather drained, but was grinning like a (short) idiot.

"'Bout time you got up, sleepyhead." She said with a smirk, rising to her feet. "He's too proud to admit it, but Arty's been worrying about you."

The Arty in question gave an indignant huff and stood.

"As a matter of fact, I have been, as Holly so bluntly put it, worried." He stated calmly, the only display of emotion being his scuffing the front of his left boot on the tile.

The manservant hid a grin, but felt guilty for making his charge worry. And even more so for letting him get shot, 'cause stuff like that kinda digs at you.

Artemis sensed his old friend's concern, and spoke.

"Bulter, it wasn't really your fault. I allowed myself to be lured out, and then allowed myself to be shot. It is as a game of chess, where checkmate could be prevented. Had I predicted my opponent's moves, I could have moved my pieces to prevent this. But as it stands, they have caught us in an unfavorable position, and all we can do now it take the necessary countermeasures." The boy genius sighed, and continued, "We have one advantage now, however, as Opal believes me to be dead. Hence, her guard may be do- why are you staring at me with your jaws agape?"

For the first time, Artemis noticed the stunned expressions of Holly and Bulter. "Is something wrong?"

"Arty, I don't know, 'cause were kinda far away, but form here it sounded like you said, well, Opal. Y'know, the dead one? First victim? Maybe I should get my ears checked…"

"Indeed, Holly," said Artemis, eyes downcast, "Opal Koboi murdered both Unix and Ragby, and almost me. It was an impeccable scheme, because who suspects someone who is no longer in the world of the living? However, she has used clones before, and continues to. We must find her at any cost."

With this new development, dramatic music began to play, rich with soprano tones and violins and occasionally a trumpet."

"What the heck is that?"

"Dunno"

"Oh wait, that's my phone" Holly explained, still somewhat shocked by the perfection of the timing. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a small mobile communication device (henceforth called a cell-phone) and flipped it open.

"Hello? Hello, this is officer Short-"

"Hello there, Holly. This line is private and untraceable, so you have no chance of locating me though it." The voice was young and childlike.

"I'm sooooo sorry about what happened to Arty, but he was the greatest threat to my success, you see? The only one who is smart as me! Or, well, was smart as me." Giggling from the other line sent Holly chills.

"Opal!" she hissed, "You shot Artemis, D'arvit! You… he…" she stuttered, enraged. "I will find you, and you will pay for what you did! By my own hands, if I have any choice!"

More giggling, and a click.

Holly waited a few seconds, glaring daggers at the phone.

"You know, Holly," Artemis said, trembling, "the phone didn't shoot me. Please don't murder it"

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**Phew! Sorry I haven't uploaded in, well, **(checks watch) **FOREVER! I don't know why, but since it's summer I have all of this free time. I discovered the queerest thing: the more time you have, the busier you are… **hmmmmm.

**But I finally got the new chapter up, emphasis on finally, and I hope that you all like it. Reviews are always welcome, you can even review just to say hi **(man, I must be desperate…)** or to tell me things I'm doing wrong, 'cause there are probably a bunch… hehe. **

**Again, shout out thanks to RAHbooks and Artimis Fowl Lover **(AFL)**, and all of my other reviewers. Please, do what your title implies… and thanks! **


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